The Land of Ásaterra
Ásaterra was originally a monarchy, until a hundred and seven years ago, at which point the king’s councillor’s led a rebellion. Overthrown and imprisoned, King Carlos II later died of ‘natural causes’ in his cell. The rest of his family, supposedly exiled, were in fact, disposed of in a similar fashion. The council then installed themselves as a democratic ruling force, and controlled the country for the next fifteen years. However, they began to fear the proficiency of magic users running wild in the country, as well as the large number of mercenaries and sellswords. After the failure of the Sorcery Registration Act and the Military Conscription Decree, uprisings and protests dissolved into civil war. After years of futile bloodshed, a truce was reached and a compromise was made. The council spilt into two separate parties, whilst the mercenaries and the sorcerers each formed their own factions. Thus, the land of Asáterra is divided into four factions. The Legion of the Maor Dlí have the North. This faction are the ‘Lawkeepers’, and aim to establish their idea of law and order throughout the land. The act as something of a police force.The Guild of Croesus have the West. Based around commerce, they control the monetary needs of the country have a monopoly on trade. They are always looking for a bargain. The Circle of the Arcane has the East. Their main interest is knowledge, mainly of a magical nature, however, you will find many interested in subjects such as history or literature amongst their ranks as well. The Warriors of the Black Sun have the South. They are tasked with the defence of the land from both invasion and from threats from within. Although they get paid for their services and encourage their own kind of ‘honour’, there are many who may be looking for work which is a little less…clean. The land is governed by the High Council, which is comprised of four members, one from each faction. Every year, the head of council rotates, faction to faction. The current head High Councillor is Séarlait Brígh of the Circle of the Arcane. Capital City Frithstede has been the capital of Ásaterra since 1244 BA. After the country was divided into four political regions, it was decided that the capital should be on neutral ground. After a lot of debate, it was decided that the new capital should be established on the banks of Lake Scír, where the boarders of the Western, Eastern and Southern regions meet. The fortress of Mereseld, left empty after the civil war, was rebuilt and established as the base of the council and the assembly. Although the Councillor's mainly reside in their private residences, they all have their own rooms in the main keep, for them to use during assemblies and council meetings. Ásaterran Monarchy Timeline 22 BU Ása is born. 0 BA Queen Ása is crowned. The tribes are united and the land is named Ásaterra, after the new queen. 3 BA Monmothian raiders attack Ásaterra, pillaging outlying farms and villages. Queen Ása strikes back against the raiders, issuing dire warnings to the Monmothians. 5 BA The Monmothians rally and attack once again, quickly and violently, burning towns to the ground, stealing their crops and sowing their fields with salt. 6 BA Queen Ása invades Monmouth, and crushes their army at the battle of Eagle Hill. She rides South and takes their capital. Monmouth is eventually absorbed into Ásaterra. 7 BA After unrest in Monmouth, Ása brokers a marriage with Haldin, Crown Prince of the elven lands of Ulaidh, on her southern borders. With his reinforcements the rebellions are quelled. 8 BA Birth of Ása’s first child, Crown Princess Anara. 10 BA Birth of Prince Hassan. 13 BA Birth of Princess Safae. 20 BA The King of Ulaidh is killed fighting in the Skovvian wars. Haldin and Ása unite their territories, and expand the borders of Ásaterra. 46 BA Queen Ása dies peacefully in her sleep. She is succeeded by her daughter Anara I, who rules both Ásaterra and Ulaidh after her father’s disappearance. 75 BA Crown Prince Melchor, Ása’s grandson, begins his war of expansion against the southern states. 158 BA Queen Anara I dies. Melchor is crowned king. 240 BA Queen Yassmin I solves to problem of overpopulation in the countries jails by exiling convicts to the barren wastelands in the south of the land formerly known as Monmouth. 445-550 BA The reign of Queen Adlanniel. The remaining territories to the south of the Ásaterran Empire are either conquered or join willingly. 650 BA Elven Queen Lyra is murdered by her brother Hassan, who seizes the throne and crowns himself Hassan III. Civil war breaks out between him and his sister Safae. 654 BA Safae defeats Hassan III and kills him, avenging her sister. She is crowned Queen Safae. 840 BA Queen Safae dies in childbirth. Her newborn daughter is crowned Queen Elodie. The Royal Council rules as regents. 990 BA Queen Laïla is crowned at the age of twelve, becoming the second child Monarch in Ásaterran history. Once again, the Royal Council act as regents. 1148 BA During the rule of Queen Raina, the Royal Council are heavily depended on due to her chronic illness. 1160 BA Queen Raina dies from falling down the stairs. Foul play is suspected. Her son is crowned King Carlos II 1184 BA King Carlos II makes moves to dissolve the Royal Council, feeling that they have become too powerful. 1185 BA The Royal Councillors lead a coup. King Carlos II is deposed. He, his wife, children and grandchildren are executed or secretly disposed of. The Royal Council takes charge of the government. 1194 BA Civil unrest. A group of powerful mages attack the council and attempt to place a man claiming to be Carlos II’s son, Crown Prince Clovis, on the throne. They are defeated and all rebels are executed. 1195 BA The Grand Archives and looted and burnt, many believe on the orders of the Royal Council. 1196 BA The Sorcery Registration is implemented. All magic users must be documented and may only practise with a license. 1202 BA The Mercenary Conscription Act is passed. All mercenary groups must disband and all mercenaries must join the Royal Army. 1203 BA The Southern Uprising takes place. Many Southerners are brutally executed, many of them civilians. 1204 BA Western Ásaterrans, referring to themselves as Ishallians, announce to the rest of Ásaterra that the Islands of the Delta are to be a land for all traders and craftsmen to work safely, away from the politics and unrest of the world. 1205 BA The Mardellian rebellion sweeps through the east, causing multiple casualties and ending in 221 public executions. 1206 BA The Children of the Black Sun announce that the council have insulted the gods. They lead an attack on the Royal Palace and several nobles and high ranking officials are brutally killed. 1208 BA A group of necromancers murder a councillor and attempt to send him into the council as a revenant. Meetings between the mercenary forces begin, headed by the Children of the Black Sun. 1209 BA The Magical Resistance is contacted by the now united mercenaries, and they form a plan of attack. 1210 BA The Civil War begins. 1214 BA General ‘Bob’ Bartholomew of the Council is assassinated mysteriously. 1237 BA Ishall is recognised as the official trading powerhouse of Ásaterra due to trading profits from the civil war, it’s wide expanse of quality farmlands and it’s apolitical stance taken towards the rest of the country. 1243 BA The Civil War ends with the Truce. Talks between the opposing sides begin. 1244 BA The country is divided between the two warring sides. The Royal Council takes the north west, and the Mages and Mercenaries take the southeast. The Mages take the east and the Mercenaries take the South. Each province is to be protected by its specific political group. 1246 BA Difference of opinion in the Royal Council causes it to split into two different parties, the Legion of the Maor Dai Li and the Guild of Croesus. The Legion remain in their Northern territories, whilst the Guild claim the West with Ishall as their base, much to the anger of the people who built their homes and livelihoods there, causing dangerously high levels of tension. 1292 BA The Expeditionary Force is formed. 1294 BA The present day. History Coming soon. Society Gender There is no dominant gender in any of the lands, and there are very few established gender roles. It is just as common to see a woman swinging a sword on the battlefield or debating in a council meeting as it is to see a man cooking or raising children. All roles are considered valid and integral to a healthy balanced society. Whilst some aristocrats from Treth or Northern Ásaterra may consider field or housework beneath them, they will never discriminate based on gender. Gender identity is generally something respected throughout the lands, and there is no stigma against those identifying as a gender different from their biological sex, identifying as more than one gender or not identifying with any gender at all. Gender identity is regarded as a person's private business, and if asked to use different pronouns, most will immediately do so. Just as gender identity is regarded as a person's private business, so is sexuality. The gender of the couple has no influence on whether or not they can marry, and the adopted children of a same sex couple are regarded as just as legitimate as any natural child. There is no social stigma against any sexuality, and homosexuals, bisexuals, asexuals and so forth are regarded as perfectly healthy and natural. Clothing is not seen to have a set gender, and individuals may wear whatever style of clothing they wish, be it a dress, breeches, chainmail or a fine set of robes. Language There is a common tongue which everyone in Ásaterra, and most people in Treth and Skovva speak fluently, however, there are many old regional dialects which are still taken into account when naming places or children. There are also different types of scripts which were traditionally used by Elves and Dwarves, which are now mainly used for ceremonial or magical purposes. Rune magic has become extremely widespread, and can be extremely powerful when used correctly. Religion Ásaterra has one main religion, but there are many different interpretations and variations of it. Many religions have merged together over time to form a giant mishmash of stories and cultures. Now most gods are regarded as real and worthy of respect, but a worshipper may only choose a select few to focus on, especially if they are related to their craft, and some may even devote their life to only one deity. Religion and deities are regarded, again, as a person's personal business, and there is no judgement or stigma for worshipping a different god, or even a different religion. Attempting to convert someone to your own religion is regarded as highly rude and disrespectful, and any individual who repeatedly does so is usually shunned by their community. See The Four Pillars Pantheon for the full list of Gods and Goddesses. Race & Discrimination Ásaterra has become a melting pot of cultures over the years, and they have integrated well together. Whilst different areas have different traditions, there are few who discriminate on the basis of origins alone. There is no discrimination between humans based on skin colour or ethnicity, although foreigners from Treth and Skovva have been regarded with suspicion in the past in times of war. However it is common to judge a person by their deeds, rather than appearance, and racism between humans is practically unheard of. Trolls and Elves have been part of the Ásaterran Empire since it was founded, and live everywhere and anywhere in the lands of Ásaterra. Dwarves made themselves known to their human neighbours thousands of years ago, and are a common sight on the streets of Ásaterra. Goblins met the humans for the first time when the Laisanen Delta was colonised by humans in the 240BA. Although the different races were initially suspicious of each other, they eventually became friendly, bonding over their love of humour and good ale. Goblins, like the other races of the land, are now a common sight, although is often bad blood between them and Dwarves due to a historic feud. The less common races include the Beast-Kin, shy creatures who have the features of both animals and humans. They are regarded with a bit more suspicion, simple because they have a habit of keeping to themselves and staying away from other races. They are more welcome in the southern regions, where many of them originate from, and where they've lived in harmony with their neighbours for centuries. Other races such as vampires also find themselves victims of suspicion, and in some cases outright hostility. Although bound vampires can legally live in society alongside humans, many in more rural areas dislike them, possibly as they are the ones who suffer most when an unbound vampire goes on a rampage. Lineage & Inheritance In Ásaterra, it is common for children of a marriage to take the mother's family name. If a parent has a title, it will be passed down to the oldest child of the marriage, regardless of gender and blood relation. An adopted child older than a birthchild will generally receive the title and the lands which come with it. However, an Ásaterran can, in their will, specify which other property, money and lands will go who which child, and do have the power to disinherit an older child in extreme circumstances, with the approval of the council. Wards Wards are children placed into the legal custody of someone other than their parents. The reasons for this practise greatly vary. In war, a defeated party is sometimes forced to comply with the demands of the victors by one of their children being taken hostage. Often, this child becomes a ward of the victorious family, and is under their guardianship. If a child's parents die before they reach eighteen, the legal age of adulthood, then they are often placed under the guardianship of a relative as a ward. If they have no relatives, then they become a ward of the crown, and the High Council assigns a person to take care of their estates until they reach adulthood. Sometimes a family will send their child away to be a ward if they are struggling financially, or if they will be out of the country for a long time. They will often send this child to a family member or trusted ally to be looked after until such time as they are able to take care of them again. Close, almost familial, bonds have been known to form between wards and their guardians, and if a guardian dies without an heir, they will often leave their estate to their ward.Category:Lore